Wikipedia

Holographic storage ships next month. The technology was in the works for decades before becoming a reality. Every now and then I read about something and go “wow - that’s the future!”. I remember when I was a kid in the 80’s and my day telling me about computer storage and memory doubling nearly every six months. He also told me “someday you’ll be able to carry your 30 albums or your entire record collection on a small postage stamp sized chip in your pocket.” It seemed like something out of the movies back then, and yet my 4GB SD Flash card for my digital camera can hold about 1,000 songs which I guess is about 75-80 CD’s (and it’s about the size of a postage stamp).

We’ve all seen a holograph in a sci-fi movie. A holograph is a projected image that, if you moved around it, would actually have perspective form different angles. A holograph is a true “3D image”. So, how do you turn a holograph into storage? Technically a holograph IS storage, because it stores information about the image to be projected. A hologram uses 2 laser beams. A reference and illumination beam create an interference pattern on photo sensitive media. Shine a laser on that reference pattern and get an image in 3D - simple as that. Robin Harris brings up to good points in that article, the first being that a small fraction of the reference data can reconstruct the entire 3D images (you just can’t move as far around it). This means that unlike a CD or DVD, if the photo sensitive media is scratched it doesn’t (completely) destroy the data. Imagine data that can “reconstruct itself” from the remaining bits. His other point was that the amount of storage is just about limitless. By changing the reference point and illumination of the beams different holographs can be produced - so hundreds (or more) could be stored in the exact same space on the media.

Oh - did I mention the fact that photographic media has a lifespan of over 100 years, so holographic storage has the longest lifespan of any media to date. The company that created this holographic storage technology is “InPhase” and the first units will be shipped for $18,000 next month. One disk costs $180 and stores 300GB.

Why do we care? For the same reason that both CD and DVD players were thousands when they first came out. This is the future of technology. Movie studios with long term storage needs will gladly pay $18,000 for this device, but as the prices drop I think that this kind of technology will be something that consumers need. You can buy a half-terabyte drive at your local Wal-Mart now for $100. I think it’s great to be able to back up all of our digital pictures and music on an external drive for our home network. But as time goes on I will need multiple ones, and eventually some will fail - and eventually I’ll lose some really cherished memories. I think that’s why a lot of people I know print out so many digital pictures on photo paper - they know that if somehow the digital copy is lost, the printed version should last a lifetime. If InPhase eventually created a consumer version holographic storage drive, wouldn’t you buy one? I mean come on, you could store you family digital photos knowing that the media would be good up to 100 years. I know of no other storage technology other than printed photos themselves that could give you that kind of piece of mind.

Think about the industry uses this could bring. Movie theaters could ship out their blockbusters to the theaters on these disks knowing the quality wouldn’t diminish no matter how many times they were rented out. Web hosts could practically offer “uncorruptable backups”. You may not know this, but your local cable company usually has movies “downloaded” on their local server for the video “on demand” services you can watch. With holographic storage they could store tens of thousands of movies for you to watch, and not just hundreds. Unbelievable amounts of data could be stored in black boxes of planes, trains, and automobiles. You could possibly take your entire entertainment system from your living room to your car on one disk. Entire textbooks could begin to be stored on disk cartridges to be read in standard readers and books in schools and universities would not only be cheaper, but the quality of the content would never diminish (just the hardware readers to view them).

So that’s why I think holographic storage is a future BluRay killer. How many years will that be? I don’t know. It took 20 years for holographic storage to become a real piece of hardware you could buy. I don’t think that it will be 20 more years before what I envision comes true, but it’s certainly possible within the next 5-10. But you never know, something might just come along that’s even better than this! Read Robin Harris’ report on Holographic Storage at c|Net.

A movie covers says a lot about your DVD and Blu-ray collection. In fact, creating your own DVD and Blu-ray covers is an enjoyable experience which can release your artistry abilities. The problem with the standard covers that come pre-packaged with your purchase is that they fail to represent the feel and overall essence of the movie. Custom Cover designers manage to create covers which bring to life the meaning feel of the movies that we love to watch. This means that whenever we look over our DVD or Blu-ray collection (which can be quite expensive) we are reminded of the masterpieces that our beloved movies are.

How it began:

Basically, the DVD and blu-ray cover concept evolved from the creation of blu-ray disc. Developed by the Blur-ray Disc Association, Bluray or Blu-ray Disc is defined as an optical disc storage media format. The disc functions as a standard CD or DVD but with high-definition video and higher data storage features. Overall, a smaller wavelength is great because it means more data storage. And with the Blu-ray Disc having a 405 nm wavelength, it can significantly store more data than any DVD format (with 650 nm wavelength).

Having been recently developed, the Blu-ray disc is among the perceived potential replacements for DVD. Having said this, it would be true if it were only based on factors such as reading capacity, estimates usage and mechanics. The Disc has 25 GB capacity (single layer) and 50 GB capacity (dual layer). It uses the blue-violet laser for reading mechanism, which again is of shorter wavelength. Also, the disc can be used mainly for input or recording of high-definition video, PlayStation games, and data storage. Thus, the Blu-ray disc may really be way ahead from other disc storage media available.

Blu-ray Disc developer:

The Blu-ray Disc Association consists of companies that represent computer hardware, consumer electronics, and motion picture production. Apparently, the standard Blue-ray Disc entails several patents from these constituent companies. A joint licensing agreement has been finalized just last March of 2007. And a more recent development is release of more 450 Blu-ray Disc titles in United States and Japan last 19 Feb 2008.

High quality covers matter:

Presentation does matter. This can be true for most people particularly those who are deeply keen to collecting film or game videos. It is true, DVD and Blu-ray covers can say a whole lot about the over quality of the movie.g., special features, capabilities). It is not surprising how poor presentation can instantly affect consumer’s buying preference and decision.

Specifically, Blu-ray and DVD covers are purposely created or produced at the highest quality possible. Even the biggest movie producing companies and studios (e.g., Warner Brothers, Walt Disney, Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Paramount, Sony etc.) have begun distributing movie copies in Blu-ray format, and so it goes with the cover. Many websites offer replacements DVD and Blu-ray Covers to make your job of finding suitable replacements easier. So either you make your own or have others make it for you. In any case you can rest easy that it will produce a high quality output.

If you have purchased a newer HDTV, Blu-Ray HD player models previewed, may be just what you are looking for. The HDTV-Blu-Ray HD player models previewed will include looks at Panasonic, Samsung and Pioneer brands. These three companies are planning on using the new Blu-Ray technology to make DVD watching on HDTV a lot better. Initially these models may be a bit pricey, but the competition and demand will lower the prices pretty quickly.

The first thing to look at in HDTV-Blu-Ray HD player models previewed is a closer look at the technology and how it works. A lot of the newer HDTV’s use 1080p resolution, while some use 1080i. The ‘i’ and ‘p’ stand for interlaced and progressive. Interlaced uses two passes to get the picture, while progressive uses only one pass. Generally progressive gives better picture quality. This is where Blu-Ray comes in.

When looking at HDTV-Blu-Ray HD player models previewed, a closer look at Blu-Ray technology is in order as well. The way it works is with a blue light laser. This laser reads or illuminates what are called pits on the disc. The wavelength in this technology is shorter, which means that the pits can be spaced closer together. This then means that the pits can be spaced closer together. This then means that more information can fit in a smaller amount of space. When it comes to HDTV-Blu-Ray HD player models previewed, you will also want to know that they are able to output a 1080p signal. This is done with what is known as High Definition Multimedia Interface or HDMI, via a jack. This resolution in HDTV’s is becoming more and more common and with Blu-Ray you can correspond this to get excellent quality.

Taking an even closer look at HDTV and Blu-Ray HD player models, a better look at each brand is warranted. One of the three that are planning to release with Blu-Ray technology is Samsung. Some of the features of Samsung’s Blu-Ray will include 9-in-2 Multi Memory Card Slot. This will enable viewing of digital photos on your television screen. This brand will also have the ability to set an alarm. Besides these features it will cost around a thousand dollars initially, but the price will probably drop fast. This brand is slim and very full of quality and rated fairly high.

The next model that will be releasing with Blu-Ray technology is Pioneer. This brand has what is called Home Media Gallery software that will let you view pictures, listen to music or watch movies that may be stored on a computer. This can all be done at 1080p resolution if you have the right HDTV to do so. This brand is highly reliable and rated consistently. This one will cost around $1,800 but may also drop as well.

The last brand that will be using Blu-Ray technology is Panasonic. This will also be in conjunction with Panasonic’s HDTV that is plasma like with 1080p resolution. This one will cost around $1,500 but may also come down with time as well. This one will have what is called EZ-Sync HDAV1 technology. This let’s the user use multiple HDMI units with just one remote. HDMI stands for High Definition Multimedia Interface.

With all these options to choose from and the great new technology, it should be fairly easy to find one that will suit your needs and budget. With the full amount of information you should be ready to go out and take a closer look at each model. This then will allow you to get the best deal in the end.

In the eighties I had a BetaMax Video Player and a stack of Beta tapes. Pity that the rest of the world had sided with VHS and won. I made an informed decision. Beta was better, but funnily enough that fact was not important. Interestingly it was the support of the adult film industry that tipped the scales in favor of VHS. Who’d have thought that I would be financially punished for my lack of interest in porn?

Not to make the same mistake twice I held off purchasing my new DVD Burner until the current day battle between HD DVD and BluRay was concluded. As with all two sided battles both teams decided that their technology would not be compatible with their opponents. If you purchased HD DVD then it wouldn’t work with BluRay and visa versa. It’s fine for big corporations to take their bat and ball and go home if play doesn’t go their way, but it the little people like us who make the wrong decision and end up having to buy two units instead of just one good one or worse still a hybrid. Those units that sit under your TV announcing to the world that you have commitment issues. This time our two heavy weights were Toshiba and Sony. Once again industry support provided the victor the spoils with BluRay emerging as the new medium and Sony winning the day.

So what is BluRay (Blue - Optical Ray) and HD DVD

CD’s and DVD’s components utilize a red laser to read information encoded on discs. Currently up to 4.7GB can be stored on a standard disc with a maximum of 8.5GB on a dual layer disc. BluRay and HDDVD are based on the same technology and utilize a blue/violet laser which has a shorter wave length. This permits the disc to store more compressed data. Using this technology HD DVD discs can hold 15GB and BluRay a whopping 25GB. Given that dual layer technology is imminent in both formats you can comfortably double that storage capacity. In fact Sony have boasted multilayer discs in the future which could see their disc capacity up to 200GB. That’s huge!

The other important advantage of the new discs is their ability to store high definition (HD) images. Current DVD’s can hold only standard definition (SD) given their limited storage capacity. HD is approximately five times the definition of SD. This has been the reason for the interest and support of the movie industry. The big boys Walt Disney, Buena Vista, Fox, MGM and Sony BMG, announced BluRay as their preferred format with Paramount, Universal and Warner Brothers sitting on the fence and supporting both.

One advantage of BluRay is the scratch resistant backing made of a clear polymer as compared to standard DVD and HD DVD’s which use a clear plastic. Now that is good news. The other is the new anti-piracy measures which includes a digital watermark, Advanced Access Content System (similar to current CSS) High Bandwidth Digital Content Protection and BD+ technology.

If you have already committed to a HD DVD purchase don’t despair it will be supported for the next few years, and that’s a long, long time in technology, by that time there will probably be something bigger and better and another battle being fought. And like my BetaMax in the eighties, your HD DVD player will make an expensive way of holding a door open, however, unlike me you will not be able to use porn as an excuse.

Region code Areas

The multi-region version plays all REGION A And B Blu-Ray Disc movies on any TV with HDMI input.

A/1North America, Central America, South America, Japan, Taiwan, North Korea, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Southeast Asia.

B/2Europe, Greenland, French territories, Middle East, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand, plus all of Oceania.

C/3India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Mainland China, Pakistan, Russia, Central, and South Asia.

Reviews of the BLU-RAY BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player (the is no difference in basic specifications for the

Region A version and the Region A and B Multi-region version so all reviews stand for both versions.):

It’s good: Excellent image quality on Blu-ray movies; outstanding soundtrack support with onboard decoding for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD High Resolution and bitstream output for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio; relatively low price compared to other standalone Blu-ray BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player s; Ethernet port for updating firmware.

MDOJ,

My BD-P1400 arrived late yesterday! The firmware was updated last night via internet download and burning a CD. First impressions:

Video - !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Audio - !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

FYI: There is no image or sound quality difference, or any other type of difference, in the USA Region A version of the multi-region Region A and B version of the Blu-ray BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player.

I have tried a regular DVD and one BRD so far and am very pleased. Load

times are very acceptable. No negatives from me on this unit so far. Will

report more later when I get some of the more seemingly problematic BRDs.

The BD-P1400 has classic Samsung style. The front of the unit is all glossy black, with a thin strip of silver along the bottom.

Got my Samsung BD-P1400 last night and boy was I excited!! Before this review, let me start by saying that this is the first and only Blu-ray BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player that I have owned and that I may not make some of the comparisons you are looking for. If I don’t, just lemme know! I also want to say that I have NOT upgraded to the latest firmware yet as my modem is not near a TV.

Picture

Excellent, duh…… inky blacks, great contrast, detail, everything you expect from Blu

Design: Wonderful looking BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player , the best yet I think. Face is very open, not cluttered, and the piano gloss finish rocks. Good remote too.

Load Times Wonderful. I have 5 movies so far and they all loaded in approx. 15 seconds. Then there was the new F4 Silver Surfer…. This is a BD+ title from Fox and many have had complaints about its load time. The BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player gave me no problem, and the multi-region version from Planet Omni will be even more incredible. Let me say again that this is right out of the box, no firmware update yet!

FYI: There is no image or sound quality difference, or any other type of difference, in the USA Region A version of the multi-region Region A and B version of the Blu-ray BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player.

Sound

I have not played with the sound much as I don’t have my Onkyo TX-SR705 yet. I did notice that there is an option to set the speakers from small to large in analog 5.1 out mode. There are other discussions and reports of people getting full DTS-MA bitstream from this BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player (after firmware upgrade) on other threads and forums. I’m getting very anxious to try this out!

Others

The rest of the stuff is pretty standard. 128x max forward, unit resumes same position in the movie even after powered off, pretty good response times from remote keys, etc.

All in all, this is a dynamite BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player. With the firmware upgrade, this guy will do just about anything that you can expect from a blu-ray BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player right now!!

In addition to Blu-ray discs, the Samsung BD-P1400 can play standard-definition DVDs and CDs.

FYI: There is no image or sound quality difference, or any other type of difference, in the USA Region A version of the multi-region Region A and B version of the Blu-ray BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player.

The BD-PBD-P1400’s high-resolution soundtrack support is excellent. It has onboard decoding for Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, and DTS-HD High Resolution, which means it can output these soundtracks either in PCM format over the HDMI output or via the analog outputs. For newer receivers, the BD-P1400 also offers bitstream output for high-resolution soundtracks. So if you have a newer receiver with onboard Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio decoding, you can set the BD-P1400 to output audio over HDMI in encoded bitstream format–letting your receiver do the decoding, rather than the BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player.

There should be absolutely no sound quality difference whether you let the receiver decode or the BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player decode, but some AV fans just love seeing the “Dolby TrueHD” light on their new receiver. If you need a Code free Converting DVD Disc Player for $79.95 Planet Omni also has that and they come with 2 warranties. So far, I am really happy with this purchase. I was not sure I made the right deal because of the negative reviews I read but bought it anyway.

I really don’t know why people get upset when it only takes two minutes to get ready to play. I have used it several times with Blu-Ray disks rented from Netflix with no problems. I am still waiting for the eight free movies.

Connectivity is also solid. There’s an HDMI output capable of carrying both 1080p video signals and high-resolution audio.

For high-def analog video, there’s a component video output (limited to 1080i), and there’s an S-Video output and a composite output for standard-def output. (As with all DVD BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player s, there is no DVD upscaling available via component video). On the audio side, there’s the aforementioned HDMI output, along with 5.1-channel analog outputs, both optical and coaxial digital audio outputs, and stereo analog outputs.

Rounding out the connectivity is an Ethernet port, which enables you to upgrade the firmware from the Internet–a feature that’s been common to HD DVD Players, but very rare among Blu-ray BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Players.

FYI: There is no image or sound quality difference, or any other type of difference, in the USA Region A version of the multi-region Region A and B version of the Blu-ray BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player.

The BD-P1400 did a good job of rendering the opening sequence of Star Trek: Insurrection, demonstrating its 2:3 pull-down prowess. Next up was Seabiscuit, and the BD-P1400 did a solid job with the difficult introduction, with few to no jaggies on the black and white photos.

MDOJ,

Just a quick update on the Samy BD-P1400. I have rented some BR’s from Netflix and have really been enjoying the BD-P1400 - how about you? All the techno mumbo jumbo aside, as far as I’m concerned this is a great BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player.

I hope that the head dudes in charge of this forum will make a sticky for the Samsung BD-P1400 - hint - hint! watching home movies here…not saving lives.

The Samsung is a REALLY good unit for the price. The multi-region version is just $849.95 from Planet Omni and considering they use a double motherboard specially imported which must cost a fortune plus the intensive labor it’s a real great bargain, IMHO.

I was able to plug my unit directly into my modem with a network cable (as per Samsungs directions in the user manual) and the BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player found it’s new firmware and loaded it up without the need for me to get on the computer, burn disks…etc. Very cool.

The Samsung has a great image and with the current update I can listen to DTS-HD Master Audio (Sony can’t say that for twice the price!).

With the pace at which the technology is moving I think it is very difficult for a manufacturer to manufacture these units, get them to market and have them totally “current” with the new disk technology, (which is changing daily), but Samsung has provided me with a unit that I can just plug into my modem and get an update when they have it available. I think that is AMAZING.

A little patience and understanding can go a long way. After all…it wasn’t that long ago that when you bought an electronic component, you couldn’t update it at all. I am sure Samsung will come thru with an update soon. I have not run into any disks I could not play as of yet.

Having never seen a 1200 in action, I can’t help you - but the BD-P1400 PQ is excellent, but that’s what Blu is all about - right?

I have tried several BD’s from Netflix as well as a few standard def DVD’s. All were great. As far as the handshake issue, I’m not really sure what that is…. and for the off, then play thing… why would you want to do that in a movie anyways?

Great BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player, I couldn’t be more happy I got the new BD-P1400 last week. returned the 1200 to get it. (plus 100 price difference in my favor. PROS= the pic quality is by far the best I’ve seen, even better then the panny I had.

Controls are easy and setup just the same. I don’t like it loses the signal at the beginning of the discs.

AUDIO= I am not able to use all the audio features due to my ONKYO being a few years old. I have it setup with a digital optical cable, the sound is really excellent except for the POPS I get every now and then.

As for the BD discs, POTC about 2 minutes, have had no problem, and the multi-region version from Planet Omni will be even more incredible, with any other BD movies. I did notice that after I hit pause and went to hit play, the movie would play for a minute and then stop. I had to hit play again. No big deal.

Used the Ethernet port to download new firmware, can’t tell the difference though. I am sorry I am not that technical but this is my blue collar review. any??????s I will answer the best I can

Just finished watching Casino Royale - spectacular!

I have a Playstation 3 that has awesome picture quality for both Blu-Ray and upscaling of Standard DVD’s since a software upgrade. We use this for our main HD TV in the family room. I needed another BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player for a second HD TV we just had hung in our bedroom.

I waited for the BD-P1400 to become available since I already committed to the Blu-Ray format and wanted the latest technology available. I cannot say enough about the sound quality that this BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player offers, it is unbelievable. The picture quality is excellent and on par with the Playstation 3. I am seriously considering purchasing a second BD-P1400 for our main set because of the outstanding sound. Great BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player especially for the money.

By far the best Blu-ray I ever tested. Never watch cartoons but now I’m spending a lot of time watching with my kids.

This is a great Blue Ray BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player. DTS HD MA bitstream finally. I have owned this product for about two months and am thrilled with it; it is really a good deal. I only use my Blu Ray BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player to play Blu Ray movies, since the sound is piped into a Samsung 5-disc receiver. The picture quality is amazing. I own four Blu Ray discs (which I purchased on Amazon at $14.99 each) and they all play beautifully, with no problem, and the multi-region version from Planet Omni will be even more incredible, and a crystal clear picture.

I bought this BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player in December. I hooked it up with an HDMI cable to a Sony Receiver. The Cable Box from Comcast is also hooked up to the receiver. The receiver is connected to a 42 inch Panasonic 1080P Plasma. Three HDMI cables, that is it.

It has worked flawlessly from the beginning with every Blu-Ray disc we have tried. We get about one a week from Netflix. I can play Pirates of the Caribbean 3. Not sure why the other reviewer could not.

The picture quality is stunning with Planet Earth. I guess I can credit the Panasonic TV mostly for that.

I did the version 1.2 firmware upgrade in December. I just did the version 1.5 firmware upgrade yesterday Feb 5th. I downloaded both and created the ISO CD.

To me it works fast. So you have to wait a few seconds for it to boot up, so what? Go get the DVD while you are waiting.

Most computers nowadays take minutes to boot. I imagine it will never get better, likely probably worse over time since these are in essence computers, and the more technology advances the slower these machines are to turn on and load up.

After doing the firmware upgrade, I checked my settings and noticed they had been reset. If you have a digital receiver, you should make sure that the audio is set to ‘bit rate’ and not PCM if you want surround sound.

I also had no problem, and the multi-region version from Planet Omni will be even more incredible, playing regular DVDs or CDs either. So when it becomes obsolete, it will replace my other DVD BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player and improve the quality of the regular DVDs with my other older 720P Samsung set.

I don’t think anyone should delay buying because of the format war. The minute you buy anything nowadays, it becomes obsolete and is eventually a throw away. So you at least enjoy it while you can, life is too short. At the prices today what the heck, it is cheap, buy now before the dollar becomes worthless! You can get an entire home theatre 1080P HDMI based system with speakers for less than $[...] right now. Thank you China! I got my HDMI cables from Planet Omni, $19.95 for 2 meter length, superb images and sound!

Before I hooked this up, I updated the firmware via the Ethernet port. Once that was done I have had no problem, and the multi-region version from Planet Omni will be even more incredible, with the BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player at all. I debated whether or not to buy this due to some negative reviews, but the deal was just too good to pass up for a stand alone. Those of you that have had problems with this BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player have every right to complain about them here, that’s what these reviews are for.

However, the people complaining it isn’t 1.1 or 2.0 (no BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player is 2.0 yet) should stop. Nowhere in the description does it say this BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player is supposed to be 1.1. If you want to inform people there are updates coming and this BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player will not be able to benefit, go ahead, but to say it is horrible and obsolete because of it being 1.0 is misleading. I have a feeling most people want to just watch the movie and would rarely use the features of 1.1 (like picture in picture commentary).

If that’s you, this BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player is perfect. If you need a 1.1 BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player, get the panasonic. For me this one will work fine for the next couple of years while Blu-ray gets its act together and finalizes an emerging product. I hope those of you that have had problems were able to get them resolved and can now enjoy the BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player as I do.

I have had no problem, and the multi-region version from Planet Omni will be even more incredible with the Samsung BD-PBD-P1400. I just plugged it in, connected it to the internet and started the firmware upgrade utility. After about 20 minutes, the firmware upgrade was successful and I played my first movie without a glitch. Every movie I’ve played since has also played flawlessly. You can also upgrade the firmware by burning a CD or if you don’t have internet, Samsung will send it to you.

This product works just fine on blu-ray disks, also on non-European format DVDs, and on music CD-ROMs. I have found no problem, and the multi-region version from Planet Omni will be even more incredible with it. It even does a superior job of showing plain DVDs on my 40″ TV, where my previous DVD BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player only would take up part of the screen.

One clever and undocumented touch is that it seeks out the right TV input choice once a disk is inserted. It may help that the TV is also a Samsung.

I got this on Nov.30, 2007, and unlike what other reviewers have said, the BD-P1400 does start back where you stopped. Everything else looks and works great.

I’m editing this review on March 13, 2008, to reflect my experience with the machine. It appears to me that whether a DVD will start back where it stopped depends on how the DVD was manufactured, NOT on the BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player . Some DVDs, such as “LOST, Season 3″, don’t even have chapter/scene makers on them, much less the ability to restart after a stop.

Some DVDs, such as “3:10 to Yuma”, actually have their own system for marking where you stop or where you may want to go back to, but otherwise require a restart from scratch. But some DVDs do restart where stopped.

My chief complaint with Blu-Ray (not necessarily with this BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player in particular) is that it takes FOREVER for a DVD to start up, then if you do have a DVD that won’t restart from where it stopped, you have to go through the painfully long start-up again.

I’ve learned to NEVER PAUSE a DVD, which causes it to shut down the BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player after a few minutes. Instead, I keep it going at 1/8 speed, then when I come back, I can easily back up to where I was — a lot faster than a restart.

If there is a better BR BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player anywhere near this price range, I haven’t heard of it. Now that HD DVD has died, I hope that DVD makers will focus their attention on making BR DVDs work more easily and FASTER.

This is a great player. The only issue is the firmware upgrade. I used CD-R/RW burning method…easiest and fastest. Burn *.iso image using nero burning rom software. The instructions are in [...]/support. I have both HD-DVD and blu-ray. so far blu-ray is better. HD looks like upconverted DVD. Read the instructions carefully i.e. the new Blu-ray “Live Free Die Hard” contains a note letting you know the software upgrade may be needed.

Lastly, remember this is HDMI 1.3 compatible…so in order to use 1.3 capabilities, you need a cable and TV which is HDMI 1.3 compatible also….the picture is great. Buy this BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player and upgrade the software right away.

I have read and continue to see many complaints about different blu-ray and hd-dvd BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player s not working like people hoped. I can say that with this model I have had absolutely zero issues.

I am sure some people will write that it doesn’t load this or doesn’t do that, but it hasn’t affected me. I have not found a single disc that has not played perfectly. What people have to remember is that in this day and age everything is like a computer, you may have to update, it is part of life now, get over it.

Will the manufacturers eventually get this flawless, probably so but in the mean time I will be enjoying my movies now. If you are an early adopter like I am on technology then any issues you might run into will be no big deal. The BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player is easy to setup, easy to play and loads reasonably fast. Glad I bought it and already thinking about a second one for different room.

Complete satisfaction with this product. Greatly enhances my regular dvd’s. I was really surprised about this claim, but the Samsung does as advertised. The blu-ray disc audio is very good. Can’t wait until hooking this up with my new surround system.

This product is money well spent for the viewing pleasure it gives. I highly recommend this product.

For its price this is a steal. The audio and video quality here is great, the quality and selection of Blu-ray is top notch and you can be fairly confident you’ll be getting blu-ray format movies made for you for years to come. One of the better options for a dedicated BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player if you’re not interested in the PS3.

Before deciding to purchase my Samsung BD-P1400 I studied many of these customer reviews and they were very useful. I also read a dedicated AV Science forum online concerning this model BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player. First, all of the information and customer reviews highlight the endemic problem that implementation of newer Blu-Ray standards is occurring gradually. Moreover, features are evolving, meaning that we are all taking some chances when we purchase any Blu-Ray BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player (that is not a PS3).

I personally have no interest whatsoever in owning a game console. Second, many of these reviews describe in conscientious detail the kinds of problems that people are having, as well as whether and how the problems have been overcome. This review adds data to that second category - practical problems.

When my BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player arrived the very first thing I did was install the latest firmware downloaded from the Samsung web site. I suggest the method that uses a cd rather than a direct network connection; in either case the manuals and web site offer complete directions. Be sure to *confirm that the update was successful* by restarting the BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player , re-inserting the firmware cd, and comparing the disk version to the installed version.

What problems have I had? In a month of watching Netflix discs I have had not one single hiccup, not a single blue screen, no refusals to play any of the BDs or SD-DVDs that others have had problems with - I have had *nothing but perfect performance*! True, some of the other criticisms like slower controls are inherent to the technology. But my BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player has been flawless and my expectations have been significantly exceeded. Without hesitation, I give my BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player five stars.

Pros: My favorite feature, by far, is the 24 frame per second output mode. Movies display exactly as they were intended - be that good or bad - and ‘judder’ in slowly-panned scenes is significantly improved compared to 30 FPS. This alone, in my opinion, warrants the relatively modest price tag. [In direct comparisons using my 50" plasma TV, the video quality of movies from the BD-P1400 at 24 FPS is clearly superior to the same discs when played through advanced computer video cards that cost the same!] I also like the features and layout of the remote control, which doubles up to control my Samsung TV. Yes, these are basic features within the realm of Blu-Ray, but they have been very capably implemented.

Cons: My only nit-pick is that I would like a set-up feature that allowed the audio and video outputs to be delayed relative to each other by a selectable increment. This would allow perfect lip-sync when using older (i.e. slower) audio decoders/receivers that are not HDMI 1.3 compliant. However, to my knowledge this feature is not offered on *any* new Blu-ray BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Disc Player , since the HDMI 1.3 standard incorporates an automatic synchronization feature if all the components are HDMI 1.3 compatible.

Maybe I’ve been lucky, but I have not had a single ‘playability’ issue using the latest build of the latest firmware. Based on this - 5 stars.

Let’s hope that Samsung will support this model well into the future by further optimizing the operating firmware, as needed.

In brief: Outstanding picture quality—my wife and I say, even for stills, “Polaroid picture!”, breathtaking.

The unit has all the requisite connections. I play it through a Yamaha av-tuner with 7.1 channels, via HDMI, but other connections are available.

There is a simple blue-ringed on-off button, and a tray open-close button; that’s it on on-board controls. The remote has several levels of sophistication: It is easy to find and use the power, pause-play-rewind-fast/slow controls, those you will use 99% of the time. The remote also provides movie menu controls (e.g., language), player menu controls, and options for controlling other devices—learn to use them only if/when you need them. There was absolutely no setting up to do—plug and play! Great neuro-ergonomics, i.e., intuitive ease of use.

In over three weeks of regular usage, we have noted some glitches, but it’s not clear if it is the player itself or the emerging technology. Several times, the unit went into “Stop” mode as if the button had been pushed; I had to hit “Play” to get the movie started again. Mildly distracting.

What would I also like? Perhaps controls for the av amplifier as well, although that unit has all the buttons needed for TV, player, and amp. Maybe better backlighting on all buttons. This is one heck of a deal, recommended to anyone wanting to get into blu-ray.

Good BluRay DVD. Easy to use. High definition DVD’s look great but regular DVD’s look better too.

No problems found yet.

the Samsung 1400 is significantly superior to the Toshiba HD-A3. The BD-P1400 supports not only TrueHD, but DTS-HD MA bitstream output over HDMI. The A3 can only extract the DTS ‘core’ and cannot send bitstream DTS-HD MA out. Only the HD-A35 and the XA2 can do that, but both are significantly costlier than this player. The BD-P1400 can also output full 1080p/24 video, while the A3 can only send out 1080i and does not support 24fps output.

Both are slow to load up, but the A3 is significantly slower, taking almost 2 full minutes to warm up the player and display video on your monitor/screen. The PS3 takes less than 30 seconds btw. The A3 is also very noisy, distractingly so especially because it is a high pitched noise that is hard to ignore.

Overall, the BD-P1400 is a high functioning blu-ray stand alone player, that supports lossless audio output (PCM, TrueHD, and DTS-HD MA) and 1080p/24. I would still recommend a four hundred dollar PS3 over the BD-P1400, but if you really want a standalone player, you can’t go wrong with the BD-P1400.

I don’t actually own this player, but I have a friend who bought one and he loves it.

This is a excellent blu ray and I am very happy with my purchase, I recommend this player to everyone and the price is great.

It did NOT disappoint in the slightest. I have not had any problems playing any DVD Blu-ray or not. I have not had to download any firm-ware to solve ANY issues. The BD-P1400 worked straight out of the box. The only thing that comes close to a con is that it’s slow on start-up and loading.

I am very satisfied with this player and I’m happy. All I can report is that mine works perfectly so far, and I have recommended it to many of my friends when asked for an opinion.

Works wonderfully with my new Samsung plasma… Haven’t experienced any issues expressed by other reviewers. Connected with an HDMI to TV and optical audio to Home Theater… Breathtaking PQ and sound.

This Blu-Ray player is first-class. Easy setup. This is my first Hi-Def player, and I am very happy with my purchase. I did the latest firmware update per the instructions in the manual, and it has functioned flawlessly. The player has a modern, slick, glossy appearance. The sounds are incredible, and the images are too beautiful to be described. Very easy to install and use. I never knew the difference that a Blu-ray player can make in the movie watching experience. I am not an expert, just a regular mom that purchased the blu-ray player for family viewing.

I have had this player for about a month now…After updating the firmware, it has been flawless. Amazing picture, quiet unit, looks great in the entertainment rack along with my HD DVD player.

The upconversion is wonderful! Best part is I can use optical and take advantage of the new audio codecs.

I give this player 5 stars!

Not a single problem. I even have it in a tight spot with 2″ clearance above top and open back with No overheating problems. None of my movies have locked up or have been unable to play. I have tried Live Free or Die Hard, all the Harry Potters, Planet Earth and others. Firmware 1.5 arrived on Jan 24th and it has seemed to fix all the problems others were having. I would definitely recommend this player to others.

I have a PS3 and a Sony 300 S Blu-ray player, and they are both excellent blu-ray players. However, I love my new Samsung 1400 BD it can decode DTS HD sound, and it makes for a wonderful movie watching experience. The first thing a new owner should do is go to samusung.com and download the latest firmware update (it is a fast simple process). There are also instructions on the owner’s manual that explains how to update the player. I have watched the latest Blu-ray releases from Fox, Disney, Sony, etc. and the picture/sound quality is outstanding. Very pleased with the product.

BLU-RAY (aka BLURAY) HI-defintion players are not the same worldwide. In fact a BLU-RAY disc from one of the three REGIONS won’t usually play at all on players from the other two regions.

What are these regions and why are they? See below.

But is there such a thing as a MULTIREGION BLU-RAY player and if so will you need a special Multisystem TV?

Yes, MULTIREGION BLU-RAY players do exist today and no you don’t need a PAL-NTSC TV to display the BLURAY movies. Any working TV with HDMI input will work fine.

BLU-RAY REGIONs A and B and C and DVD REGIONs 1 and 2 will be available around March 1st 2008.

What are BLU-RAY “Regional Codes”? “Country Codes”? “Zones”? and will they affect you and me?

Hollywood producers want to control the home release of movies in different countries because theater releases are often on different dates in the world wide release of a movie.

A movie may come out on Blu-ray Disc in the U.S. when it’s just hitting screens in Europe so to prevent various regions of the world from buying the BLU-RAY movies before they have come out in cinemas, thereby reducing the box office sales of those films and certainly the eventual BLU-RAY dvd release as well of those films there are devices created to stop such TV viewing of new movies.

Besides being able to see movies before approved release dates many films come out in various edited versions. Some have scenes deleted or augmented in various versions but if you want the complete unedited version of your favorite film and it isn’t available in your country you might normally have no way of ever seeing it unless you traveled to a country having your version available. But just because you can see it in that country doesn’t mean you can take it home and view it on your player and on your TV. Quite the contrary. That’s where a multiregion BLU-RAY DVD player comes in.

To block you studio require that the Blu-ray standard include codes to prevent playback of certain discs in certain geographical regions. Each player is given a code for the region in which it’s sold. The player will refuse to play discs that are not coded for its region. This means that a disc bought in one country may not play on a player bought in another country and even if it could there is the matter of the VIDEO STANDARD to deal with. There are two standards in regular DVDs and two in BLU-RAY (Please rad below about this as actually in HDMI there are NO video standards) and they are NTSC and PAL. These alone make it impossible to view a disc of one standard on a TV that isn’t of that standard even if you have a MULTIREGION BLU-RAY DVD player. The TV must match (unless you have a BLU-RAY discs playing in a MULTIREGION PLAYER via HDMI output)!

These TVs do exit and come in all video standards, formats (tune type CRT-LCD-PLASMA etc.) sizes and voltages. Or you can buy a quality DIGITAL VIDEO STANDARDS converter such as a TENLAB and simply use any working TV on earth to view your movies.

But please note:

If you out a BLU-RAY movie via the HMDI cable to an HMDI TV of any standard (PAL, NTSC, SECAM etc.) you will see a perfect picture as BLU-RAY and HDMI have done away with the traditional Video Standards like PAL, NTSC etc.

If you have a BLU-RAY region C disc it will play on all BLU-RAY players worldwide as there is no REGION C lock on them.

So any BLU-RAY region free for regions A and B or any BLU-RAY player that is not multiregion will play all REGION C BLU-RAY discs on any TV with HDMI input.

Miracle, the age of having to deal with non-compatible video standards has ended. Only REGIONS A and B are still incompatible and with a MULTIREGION (AKA MULTI-REGION, MULTI REGION etc.) player one can view any and ALL Blu-Ray movies on any TV on earth with HDMI.

To be confusing however please note:

If your TV does not have an HDMI input then you will still be stuck needing a PAL-NTSC TV or a video standards converter to view BLU-RAY movies via the RCA or S-VIDEO video output.

3 regions (also called locales or zones) have been defined, and each one is assigned a number. Players and discs are often identified by their region number superimposed on a world globe. If a disc plays in more than one region it will have more than one number on the globe.

Region A: North America, Central America, South America, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia

Region B: Europe, Greenland, French territories, Middle East, Africa, Australia and New Zealand

Region C: Pakistan, India, Mainland China, Russia, Central and South Asia

As years pass, technology progresses. As technology progresses, new data storing methods are invented every day. Compact discs where a great achievement, but nobody seems to care about that nowadays; With DVD’s we can achieve storing a lot more than 10 times the data of a compact disc in exactly the same physical dimensions. Well, what am I telling you? Again, that’s really old news. Nowadays, with Blu-ray technology you can store up to 50 GB of data in the same physical dimensions as a CD or a DVD! Yes, it’s true. Blu-ray technology is definitely the future and if you want to be on the cutting-edge of the technology you will certainly need to be equipped with a laptop that takes advantage of it. Well, Sony has something very interesting to propose, the Sony VAIO AR190G.

The brand new AR190G is equipped with a Blu-ray drive witch will not only operate with Blu-ray but it will also serve as a CD/DVD recorder! With the vast amount of data that a Blu-ray disc can store you can watch some of the most hi-res videos you have ever seen in your life. A limited number of Hollywood movies is already available on the market in Blu-ray format and if you want to live the maximum viewing experience then you can link your laptop to your high definition home cinema TV!

Another candy that the AR190G features is the extremely powerful Nvidia GeForece Go 7600 GT graphics card with 256MB of ram! This brutal little chip, along with a 17” widescreen (1290×1200, XBrite + HiColor technology) will definitely give you a shocking experience while watching multimedia on your laptop.

The heart of the AR190G is the 2 GHz Intel Duo Core T2500 processor backed up with 1GB of DDR2 RAM. Additionally, if Blu-ray discs are not enough for you, you can always use the 100GB hard disk drive of your laptop.

Finally, the AR190G comes with a built-in camera, 2 speakers (integrated) a microphone and a remote controller. Regarding connectivity, the AR90G is equipped with FireWire and S-Video ports as well as Memory card slots and a coaxial cable. With all that said, I believe that the only thing that is left to discuss about is the price; well, the AR190G is not the type of laptop you will see everyday. I wouldn’t consider it overpriced but it certainly can’t be afforded by everybody.

So it appears that Toshiba is ready to throw in the towel. Although to this point it hasn’t been officially announced, a company official stated that a board meeting was to be held to determine whether to give in to the Sony BluRay high definition DVD format. They did give a good fight but it appears that Sony will be the victor in this war.

What led to the decline of the HD DVD? The key component to the rise of the BluRay seems to be marketing. Movie studios seemed to have sided with BluRay early on. There were only a few studios that were solely producing HD DVD films. That seemed of no consequence when big box giant Wal-Mart declared they would only carry BluRay products. Other retailers like Target and Blockbuster are following suit as well.

In my opinion, Wal-Mart was the straw that broke this camel’s back. Days prior, Netflix had announced it would discontinue HD DVD rentals. Other retailers seem to be following right behind them.

What does this mean for the small businessman? If you are offering a product that is quite similar to that of another merchant, be sure to market your product correctly. I would like for you to think of how many times you heard a media reference to HD DVD. Now, how many times have you heard BluRay references? I think you may be surprised that if you market appropriately and intelligently, you can be the victor. The key always comes down to marketing. Make sure you market a lot and market effectively. The competitor that does this will come out on top.

Now that you invested in the perfect Blu-ray disc player, what are you going to do with it? Use it as a paper weight? Sure, your existing DVDs will play just fine in it because Blu-ray players are backwards compatible but to get the most out of the Blu-ray technology and your HDTV set, you need actual Blu-ray discs to play! Don’t let the Bluray advantages go to waste on DVDs, start building your Blu-ray disc collection right away.

The good news is that so much of the industry supports Blu-ray technology including the major movie studios so Blu-ray movies are coming on strong. New movies are being released as Blu-ray discs by studios including Sony Pictures, Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Paramount, Warner Brothers, and many more. Look for releases of on Blu-ray disc of your old favorites too as the studios step up to meet the growing demand.

While you may not see Blu-ray discs at the checkout lines of your local grocery store just yet, getting your hands on a new Bluray movie title is just a mouse-click away. We make shopping for Blu-ray movies and accessories easy!

In addition, both Netflix and Blockbuster Online now stocks hundreds of Blu-ray titles. As more and more consumers upgrade from DVD players to Blu-ray disc players and Blu-ray recorders, a larger selection of movies on Blu-ray disc follows. Local video stores are also catching the “Blue Fever” and growing their inventory of titles on Blu-ray disc.

Getting your hands on your favorite movies is not a problem with Blu-ray technology because of the widespread industry support of the format. From major consumer electronics manufacturers to the major movie studios and distributors, just about all the heavy hitters are embracing Blu-ray as the high definition format of the future.